LABOUR’S Shadow Policing Minister has criticised the Government for announcing a ban on so-called zombie knives on 16 occasions.
Alex Norris told GB News: “The Government has announced this 16 times, we’re glad that it’s coming. We’re worried that there are gaps in it related to some of the serrations on blades, some of the length of blades.
“There are also clearly profound issues on how these weapons are sold both online but also some of the ID checks when they physically get to people.
“We need to do all those things better, but there does have to be an earlier more preventative step.”
In a discussion during Breakfast with Stephen Dixon and Ellie Costello, he said: “We’re announcing our Young Futures programme this week.
“That’s about having a hub in every community where young people can be supported by mental health services, health services more generally, youth work, the local authority, employment services, to get them off to a good start in life, but particularly for those young people who are found to be carrying knives.
“I think the public would be very surprised to hear that in general if you’re caught carrying a knife only 50% of people are facing formal sanctions.
“We want to see every single young person who is caught carrying a knife referred into a youth offending team so that they can have those plans and support around them to get them out of those types of behaviours.”
He added: “We’ve got to act for these young people as early as possible to stop them ever getting into these behaviours, but when they do [there are] proper consequences that are supportive, but are real ones too.
“Because at the moment, many are getting away with writing a letter of apology and I don’t think that that’s having enough of an impact on that young person to make them change their behaviour.”
